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Contest Idea

February 03, 2016

I enjoy putting together contests and incentives that motivate people. When I was Director of Retail at Bose most of them were well received, and people loved the themes and activities.

Well, except once. I ran a themed contest that I thought was pretty good, but it fell flat on its face. It had zero impact on the business. Nada. Nothing.

I started poking around to see what went wrong. The feedback was pretty unanimous. The store's staff found the contest kind of boring and the prizes were insufficient, especially as compared to the previous contest, which had been a home run.

I remember meeting with my boss and complaining how unappreciative the store employees were. Maybe the contest wasn't as exciting as the previous one, but it was still better than nothing. I mean, come on people! It’s free stuff to do your job.

What he told me next has stuck with me ever since. He explained that every time I did something new and different for the staff, I created a new level of expectation. Maybe I didn't like it, but he said it is human nature that we reset our expectations based on our life experiences.

He used this example.

Say you're used to staying in a Motel 6. It's okay, but not great. But once you start staying in a Marriott Courtyard, the Motel 6 is no longer okay. It's a step down. The Marriott Courtyard is perfectly fine – until you stay at the Ritz. Now the Courtyard is no longer as nice as it was before because you have new and higher expectations. You will probably stay at the Courtyard again, but it's definitely not the Ritz.

He went on to say that as a leader I had to keep executing at a higher level in order to meet and (we hope) exceed the staff's new level of expectations. That if I was asking more of the staff, I had to first ask more of myself. I had to be better.

Even if I couldn't always increase the level of prizes, I could make the incentives and contests more engaging and fun than the previous one. If I wanted higher results, I had to create an even better employee experience.

Think about this as some of you are running a Valentine’s Day contest, or working on an incentive for a spring launch. Many of your employees have been through those before. Your role as a leader is to make everything you launch for your staff even better than before.

Here’s the bottom line. Your staff will always have new levels of expectations, and if you're going to be successful you have to rise above them to inspire and motivate them accordingly. It’s not that they aren’t appreciative. It just means you’ve done your job so well they now expect more. You just need to do it again.

So let me ask, what will you do to make your next initiative or incentive even more successful? If you want higher results than last year, YOU have to execute even better than before.

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About Doug Fleener

Doug Fleener, a proven business and customer service experience expert and speaker/consultant, helps companies achieve performance that exceeds customer and employee expectations resulting in more sales, profits, and customers.

Learn more about our services at Sixth Star Consulting, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you achieve higher levels of performance and results. Learn about Doug's keynotes and workshops at DougFleener.com.

March 11, 2015

I have a two-for-one post for you this week. The first one is about the incredible opportunities within your store. The second is one of my most popular in-store games for going green to make more green.

Only two spots remain in my new program, Four Weeks to Becoming a Sales Growth Coach and Leader program starting on March 17th. (The first group sold out; this is a second group I added.) Learn more about the program and reserve your spot here.

Article #1: Opportunities and Purchase Intent

What percentage of your customers walk in to your store to make a purchase? Usually when I ask that questions most people make estimates that are, I believe, over optimistic. Many will report a number around 50%. I then ask if more than 50% of the people who come in ultimately make a purchase? More often than not, the answer is no.

I don't know what the percentage is for your particular store. It might be 15%, or it could be 75%. The number will vary based on what you sell and whether your store is in a mall, an airport, is freestanding, or in a strip center.

Whatever the number, it's essential to maximize those customers who come in with purchase intent. You and your staff need to deliver an engaging sales experience that fulfills that customer's need and desire to make a purchase.

There's an even bigger opportunity, though, with those who come in with no purchase intent. They are there because of an interest in the products you sell, and/or to re-experience the staff and the store, but they aren't planning to make a purchase. In most stores, that describes the majority of shoppers.

This is exactly why the customer experience is so fundamental to a store's success. A well-delivered store experience, where customers are proactively engaged with products in a warm and welcoming environment, can create purchase intent in people who didn't intend to buy a thing. Let me give you some numbers.

Say 30% of those who come in are planning to make a purchase. That means that seven out of ten people who walk through your doors are NOT looking to make a purchase. They don't need help, and they don't need to have any questions answered. They're just browsing.

Some customers who are "just looking" will sell themselves on something; we'll say one out of every ten customers. That's still 60% of shoppers who will not have any purchase intent before or during their store visit.

If your staff can get even better at proactively engaging customers with products, there is an excellent chance they can create purchase intent, and that will result in more sales. If a staff converts even one out of those six customers who didn't walk in to make a purchase, your sales will go up 25%! You may think that's high, but cut it in half and sales still go up 12.5%. There is a huge opportunity when you focus on creating purchase intent.

As a leader, your role is to not only help your staff maximize sales opportunities, but also to create that intent. If you work with your team on continuing to elevate the store experience, paying special attention to engaging non-buyers, your sales will go up. It's in the numbers.

So let me ask, is maximizing opportunities built into your store’s experience? Are you coaching and developing your team so they can create even more purchase intent?

Article #2: St. Patrick's Day Go For the Green Game

This is probably the most popular contest I've ever created. It’s not just fun to play; it also puts extra green in the register. I suggest playing it over the weekend when you have a lot of sales opportunities.

How to play Go For the Green on St. Patrick’s Day

- There are six green targets for the day. You can use our targets or create your own.

- Each target is worth between one and three shamrocks.

- When an employee hits a target, he/she wins the number of shamrocks associated with that target. Employees can hit more than one target at once.

- The employee writes his/her name on each winning shamrock and puts it into the lucky box.

- Luck of the Irish prizes are awarded at the end of the day by drawing shamrocks from the box. Although there is some luck involved in winning, the more shamrocks an employee puts in the box, the greater his/her chances of winning.

If you'd rather forgo the element of chance simply award the prize or prizes based on the number of shamrocks earned.

Preparation

Complete the St. Patrick's Day green target sheet. You can use the one we've created here or download an Excel workbook and fill it with in with your target. Post a target sheet in several places where employees will see it throughout their day.

Create the lucky box by wrapping an empty box in green paper. You can also use a hat, or even a plain box. Place the box on the back counter or right inside the backroom in a visible location.

Place stacks of shamrocks at the register and next to the lucky box.

At the end of the day, count all the extra green!

- Doug

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and speaker/consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their sales results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results. Learn about Doug's keynotes and workshops at DougFleener.com.

March 12, 2014

What a busy week we have coming up with St. Patrick’s Day and the start of NCAA basketball’s March Madness. That means not only wearing o’ the green and the old college gear, but it’s also a great time to run fun staff contests

Contest #1 - St. Patrick's Day Go For the Green

This is probably the most popular contest I've ever created. It’s not just fun to play; it also adds some extra green in the register.

How to play Go For the Green on St. Patrick’s Day… or even this weekend.

- There are six green targets for the day. You can use our targets or create your own.

- Each target is worth between one and three shamrocks.

- When an employee hits a target, he/she wins the number of shamrocks associated with that target. Employees can hit more than one target at once.

- The employee writes his/her name on each winning shamrock and puts it into the lucky box.

- Luck of the Irish prizes are awarded at the end of the day by drawing shamrocks from the box. While there is some luck involved in winning, the more shamrocks an employee puts in the box, the greater his/her chances of winning.

If you'd rather forgo the element of chance simply award the prize or prizes based on the number of shamrocks earned.

Preparation

Complete the St. Patrick's Day green target sheet. You can use the one we've created here or download an Excel workbook and fill it with in with your target. Post a target sheet in several places where employees will see it throughout their day.

Create the lucky box by wrapping an empty box in green paper. You can also use a hat, or even a plain box. Place the box on the back counter or right inside the backroom in a visible location.

Place stacks of shamrocks at the register and next to the lucky box.

At the end of the day, count all the extra green!

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2. Retail March Madness

This contest takes a little bit more work, but it’s different than most store contests and most people say it’s worth the effort.

The idea behind March Madness is get people focused on selling different products, brands, or categories. Specific products will work best.

How to play Retail March Madness

Pick 16 different products, brands or categories. Each one will be treated like a school in the basketball tournament. For this example I'll use products.

Download and print out the Retail March Madness bracket sheet. Take eight of the products and enter them on the left brackets. Take the other eight and enter them on the right brackets.

On the first day, two of the products will compete against each other. You'll need to decide if the winning product is based on most units sold or total dollar amount. As an example: a shoe store might have Crocs versus Adidas on Thursday. A luggage store might have Briggs & Riley roller bag versus Tumi roller bag. The winner moves on in the tournament. (Flip a coin to determine a winner if there is a tie.). There are 15 days of contests in all.

How employees win

The employee who sells the most of that day's winner gets a prize and scores a win. The employee with the most wins at the end of the tournament wins the grand prize.

You can take it a step further if you like. Have each employee fill out a bracket sheet and predict which product will win each game. The employee whose team goes all the way wins. In the event of a tie, the winner is the person who chose the highest number of correct winners.

I hope you do one or both of these contests, as they are a fun way to engage your staff and make working at your store an even better experience.

Have a fun and successful March Irish Madness week!

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results.

Here are some ways we can work with you:

Our innovative and proven Experience Based Sales and Service approach - In beta tests our clients have realized a 20% increase in conversion and grew their ADS. Let us tell you what we can do for your company.

Higher ADS or Conversion Consulting Engagement - We help you implement changes that immediately impact your company’s performance. We have the experience to make a difference in your sales and experience approach.

Reserve a spot in our next Next Level Coaching program. - The date is still to be determined, but please let me know if you’re interested so I can form a group.

August 22, 2013

* It seems that many retailers are struggling with employees
using their phones at workwhen
they’re not supposed to. The businesses that aren’t having a problem are
often the ones with a zero tolerance policy. Use your phone once and you’re
terminated. Harsh? Yes, but it seems to work. I’m not advocating either way,
but if you’re struggling with people having phones on the floor you’re probably
going to have to add some additional consequence.

* The most successful retail floor leaders I know keep employee
development simple and focused. Their
employees are working on improving either his/her average sale or conversion,
and focusing on one or two actions each day to do accomplish it. It really is
that simple.

* Here’s a fun and simple game to drive this weekend’s
sales. It’s called Ten to Win.
First, identify four levels of performance, with each one getting assigned a
higher point. Here’s an example:

1 point: A sale that includes two or more items.

2 points: A sale
over $200

3 points: A sale
that includes both a ________ and a _______

4 points: A sale
over $400

The idea is to keep
scoring as many points as possible with each sale. Every time someone scores 10
points he/she wins an entry into a drawing, so the more you sell the more
chances you have to win. The price can be a restaurant or Starbucks gift card or
anything else of decent value. You can also set it up so every employee who
scores a certain amount of points automatically wins a prize.

The points are
cumulative. As an example, an employee makes a $200 sale that includes three
items. That is worth three points. The next sale, that person makes a $450 sale
that includes five items. That sale is worth seven points. (They score all but
the three point item.) Now they have ten points and an entry into the drawing,
and they start back at zero to begin earning their next set of ten points. If
they had scored thirteen points they would have an entry and have three points
towards the next ten.)

A contest like Ten
to Win is a great way to focus your team on improving ADS and UPT, not to
mention breaking up the routine of retail. You can download a Ten to Win game
card in PDF here, and one in Word here.

* I’ve pushed out the start of Four Weeks to
Becoming an Extraordinary Coach and Developing a Winning Retail Team to
September 4. A few spots remain. Contact me to discuss.

And apropos of nothing…

* If you get more
than two or three customers a day who say, “Just looking,” chances are it’s
your approach. Don’t engage or ask questions that can be answered with that
phrase.

* One sign that you
might not be maximizing your performance is using the word "should"
too much. “We should be calling customers.” or “We should be doing better
Facebook posts.” Turn that around by replacing “should” with, “Let’s start…”

* Have you read the
article about Amazon in the most recent Fast
Company? There are several interesting points, including this one: the
average Amazon Prime member spends $1,224 a year, which is $700 more than a non-Prime
Amazon shopper. Hmmm… makes you think
about what else can you do to create even more loyal customers.

Thank you for being
a loyal reader!

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Doug
Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and consultant, helps
companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results.
Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website,
or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an
extraordinary experience and results.

December 27, 2011

One of the keys to being successful this week is the ability to flip customers who come in for a refund or exchange into making a big purchase. It won't happen with every customer, but it rarely happens at all if you don't try.

The game/contest Flip It makes trying a lot more fun.

The goal of Flip It is to have the largest sale of the day that began with a return or exchange.

I like to make the prize a $20 bill or gift card and then have the prize passed around as one employee tops another. I used to do this back in my Sharper Image days, and I'm convinced some of the salespeople enjoyed taking the prize from a colleague more than the prize itself.

Here's an example of how it works. The first customer of the day comes in with a $20 return, but the salesperson then sells him $60 of additional items. That means the current top Flip It sale is $40. (You have to net out the return or exchange.)

The next customer has a $130 item to exchange, and the salesperson sells her additional items worth $200. The net Flip It sale is $70. He/she now gets to take the cash or gift card from the other salesperson.

Another way to play Flip It is to pay everyone a prize for flipping customers. You could, for example, say that any return or exchange that has a net increase of $100 or more wins a $5 gift card.

The key to flipping the customer is to NOT ask if he/she wants to see something else. Use proactive phrases like, "You have to see these items on sale" or "I have the perfect widget to go with the red one you're exchanging."

While I'm sure I don't have to remind you of this, it's important to make sure trying to flip the customer doesn't have a negative impact on his/her experience. It's all in the passion and enthusiasm you use to move your customer to other products, and remaining keenly aware of how each customer is reacting.

So let me ask, are you and your team successfully flipping returns and exchanges into bigger sales?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results.

December 12, 2007

It's hard to believe we have just two weekends left until Christmas. Most shoppers are now in a buying mood but with a little bit of extra effort from the staff you can help the customers complete even more of their shopping list in your store(s).

Here are some suggestions and ideas to ensure a fun and productive week or weekend.

1. Using assumptive language with your customers inevitably leads to more sales. Doing the same with your staff also leads to more sales. When talking about the day or the upcoming weekend use very positive and assumptive language. "We are going to absolutely blow away goal this weekend." "We're going to be slammed." "The buyers will be out this weekend."

2. Whenever possible no backroom work; it's all hands on deck. At this time a year a store can go from library quiet to rock and roll crazy in a matter of seconds.

3. Keep the checkout line move and grooving. Not only should all registers should be open and ringing away but someone should be assigned to engage the people in line. This is very important because people still have time to skip standing in line and go finish their shopping either online or in another store.

4. This week and weekend offers many opportunities to create additional sales if you're careful to not be just an order taker. One way to do that is to ensure people are selling and suggesting different products and/or product categories by playing Holiday Squares. To reward that behavior, take a large poster board in the backroom and divide it into 9 or 12 squares. In each square write a product or category. You can also use a smaller copy of Holiday Squares at the counter by downloading the form.

For example, a wireless store might use the 12 square model and put 3 handsets in the first row, 3 accessories in the second row, different plans or services in the third row, and extended warranties and other additional offerings in the last row.

Whatever you do, it has to be easy for the staff to know and remember what they need to sell. Every time a staff member makes the first sale in the box they put their initial. First person to sell something from every box wins. You can also arrange it so everyone wins a prize if they selling something from each box. Or you can do both, where everyone wins but the first person wins something extra. Obviously you'll need to personalize it to your store(s) based on how your staff schedule works, how competitive your team is, etc. This little game is fun and will keep people suggesting additional products.

5. Consider giving out some goodie bags, candy, and other prizes to your staff throughout the weekend. Remember these equations:

December 04, 2007

Want to keep the staff focused on creating the results you need to have a successful holiday? Roll out a three-day sales contest this weekend. Base it on the television show “Deal or No Deal” and call it Goal or No Goal.

Take five envelopes and put a note with a different prize written in each one. Each one should be a step above the previous one. As an example:

Envelope #1: A candy barEnvelope #2: A cup of coffeeEnvelope #3: Free lunchEnvelope #4: A $10 Gift Card from somewhere like Barnes and Noble or iTunesEnvelope #5: $25 cash(All would be per staff member)

Then create your game board. Write down Friday, the Friday goal, and tape envelope #1 next to it. On the next line write down Saturday, Saturday’s goal, and tape envelope #2 and #3 next to it. Do the same on Sunday using envelopes #4 and #5.

Here’s how the contest works. If the staff hits Friday’s goal the closing team can decide to either take envelope #1, or say Goal and put it aside and go for both #2 and #3 on Saturday. If they take envelope #1 they are playing only for envelope #2 on Saturday.

If they hit Saturday’s goal they can decide to keep their envelope or envelopes or say Goal and put them aside and shoot for goal on Sunday where they will win both envelopes #4 and #5. If they miss Saturday’s goal they don’t get either envelope but would still have a shot at winning envelope #4 if they hit Sunday’s goal. If you want, tell them on Sunday morning that if they can bring in 110% of the entire weekend’s goal you’ll give them all the envelopes.

The key is to do something fun and different every weekend between now and the end of the year.